On the Christmas Eve-Christmas Day menu at Charlie Palmer Steak in Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, the richness of duck stuffed with foie gras is balanced by spiky sweet tangerine marmalade.

Written by

jwright@rgj.com

Charlie Palmer Steak is back. No, that's not quite right. The restaurant that takes its name from one of America's most celebrated chefs never went away.

But the restaurant has been open five years now in Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, a period that encompasses the economic downturn, new casino owners with their own plans, and enough time for the buzz to fade as Charlie Palmer Steak became a settled part (albeit a very integral one) of the Northern Nevada culinary landscape.

"Restaurants are cyclical," Palmer said during one of a series of interviews over the past two months. "After five ...